Pop culture fail

So as much pop culture as I consume, there are still lots of things that pass me by. And then I get that look I usually give other people. The one that says: "What do you MEAN you haven't read/watch /heard [fill in the blank]?!" I know, I know. So for every person who doesn't recognize Dan Stevens from "Downton Abbey" in that pic from the last post, there are just as many times when I can be just as pop culture clueless. So here, things that I need to get into but haven't yet. Go ahead, be horrified -- but don't let your face stick like that.

Web series

With the except of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," I don't watch web series. Which is ludicrous given how much time I spend with my laptop open. But I can't ever figure out their schedules, and the production quality isn't always up to snuff, which can drive me crazy. Plus, I have a total second-screen mentality, so what would I do if watching on my laptop? In truth, I can watch YouTube on my TV, but I'm going to blame my already busy TV-watching schedule for missing these two series especially: "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" and "The Guild." Both seem right up my alley -- Pride & Prejudice! Geeks!  -- and yet, I can't sit down to watch them. Maybe it's that they seemingly have so many episodes already that, even though they're short, it'd be like me trying to watch all 10 seasons of, I dunno, "Smallville" or something.

Books

Y'all know I love my YA. Even before I rediscovered that genre, I generally read Austen paraliterature, mysteries and the occasional romance. As big a bookworm as I am, I just cannot deal with mainstream chick lit (inevitably the girl is late 30s, either divorced with a kid or longtime singleton and works in PR) or actual literary fiction (inevitably too depressing and/or Full of Meaning). So, no, I haven't read "Gone Girl" or classics like "The Catcher in the Rye." But I just finished Henry James's "Washington Square." And next on my list is the non-fiction World War I book "The Guns of August." They gotta count for something.

TV

This is the big one. The one that garners the biggest reaction when I confess: I've never seen "The Wire." Yes, I know it's amazing. Yes, I know it helped revolutionize television drama. Yes, I know it was filmed in Baltimore -- just up the road. I read somewhere that "The Wire" is like "War and Peace": Everyone says you should read/watch it, but hardly anyone actually follows through. I just don't know that I want to invest my time in several seasons of bleakness, so this one has moved down ... and down ... and down on my Netflix queue.

Three cool things

Well, I wouldn't go that far. But lots of fun things have happened in recent weeks. The top 3  awesome things, in order of awesomeness.

Holy shizz. Dan Stevens, y'all! Matthew Crawley! Edward Ferrars!
(Credit: I cannot even remember because I was so excited to put my arm around Dan)

First Place

I met Dan Stevens! That's right. He of "Downton Abbey" and the last TV adaptations of "Sense & Sensibility" and "Dracula"! (Er, actually I don't recommend "Dracula.") When we heard he was stateside doing a play, a couple of us met up in New York for a weekend. It was right after Hurricane Sandy, so probably not the best time to go. But the NY Historical Society was open, and we saw its fascinating "WWII & NYC" exhibit. Really cool to learn about why it's called the Manhattan Project and that the Met curators helped design armor/helmets by studying the armor in its collection.

That night we went to see "The Heiress" on Broadway. The play, based on Henry James's "Washington Square," stars Jessica Chastain as an awkward plain Jane who stands to inherit a good sum of money when her father (David Strathairn) dies. Dan -- because that's what I call him now, Dan -- plays her dashing suitor, who may or may not be after her money. Judith Ivey is the comic relief as the ridiculous aunt who encourages the young couple. As plays go, it was okay. I thought it was a little too obvious what was going on, and Chastain wasn't all that impressive (she does this weird "let me drop my voice an octave to show I'm emoting" thing). But Dan gamely played the dandy, and with a surprisingly good (albeit high-pitched) American accent.

After the show, we rushed to hang out at the stage door. We didn't have to wait long until Dan came out. He was very gracious and nice to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone who asked. And also handsome. He is totally dashing. Swoon. A friend must have popped by unexpectedly because when he greeted Dan, Dan was all: Omg, what are you doing here? And they shared a bro hug, which was cute, and then Dan went off with his friend into the night. Sans security to scare away any "Downton Abbey" stalkers. (We didn't stick around for Chastain; oops.) All in all, mission accomplished. I'm definitely ready for more British actors I love to come to Broadway now.

Second Place

My race bib. It was a twilight run
through a historic cemetery. Spooky! (Credit: Me)

I ran a 5K! I'm not a runner. Like at all. Never have been. Generally in the past, I've taken a "I don't run unless I'm being chased" stance. But I've been on a health kick the last year or so and decided to give it a go. I've been training for a few months now, mostly running on the treadmill. I ran outside only once and didn't do as well as I'd hoped. So lo and behold, how surprised I was when I beat my personal best on the treadmill (45 mins) by like 10 minutes -- and ran the entire 3.1 miles! Whoo-hoo! I attribute that to adrenaline and competitive spirit. I finished 250th out of 300, but, hey, I at least accomplished my goals, which were to just finish and not be last. So there's that. 

I also did a 5K running tour around town, which was fun, and I've signed up for another 5K right after Thanksgiving, because, let's face it: I'll totally need the exercise by then. I'd love to maybe try at 10K one day. But, to answer my mother's question,  no, I won't be doing a marathon. 

My sweater! With detail of owls, below.  (Credit: Me)

Third Place

I made a sweater! I knit a cardigan a long long time ago and hated it (I think I must donated it ages ago) because each part was knit separately, then sewn together. Frustrating! So it took me a long time to screw my courage to the sticking place one more time and try again. It's red and woolly and it has owls! Owls are probably passe by now, but I don't care. It's super cute and, if you're a knitter, the pattern is great: clear directions, keeps the sewing to a minimum, etc. Highly recommend!

It might take me a while before I feel like doing another sweater.... With the holidays coming up, I've got a lot of projects done, but a lot still before me. My poor little fingers will be tired right up until Christmas...

Eeeeek.

I've noticed a  pattern: I'll write a random blog post but then someone else will occur and that other one will fall by the wayside. Which has happened yet again. So instead of that post, here's one on things that scare me, in honor of Halloween.

Please note: I'm a chicken. Results may vary for other viewers.

Scariest TV episode

"Doctor Who," "Blink." Y'all know I'm a Doctor Who fan. If you haven't watched before, give "Blink" a shot. It's a nice intro to the series (no previous knowledge of the show necessary, as the main characters are barely in it) -- and it's grade-A creepy. Trust me, you will never look at statues the same again. You will shriek. It's on Amazon Instant and Netflix streaming.

Scariest movies

"Dead Again." It's not even that this movie is all that scary; plus Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson pre-divorce is awesome. But it scared the crap out of me so much so as a teen (or tween?) that I can't think about scissors -- the murder weapon of choice here -- before going to bed or I can't sleep.

"Paranormal Activity." I'd say before this movie, I was probably more freaked out by Blair Witch Project, but that was likely more due to the shakycam that nauseated me to no end.  Paranormal Activity, though, ranks at the top now.  My sister likes to stand over me in the dark when I'm trying to sleep at her place. Shuddup. It's not funny.

Also, I watched "Woman in Black" last night. As scariness goes, it wasn't terribly so. But it had enough creepy old-timey photos and sinister-looking Victorian toys (ceramic dolls, wind-up monkeys that moved on their own) to make me watch something funny afterward.

Phobias

View from a spire at the
Sagrada Familia in Barca.

Stairs and heights. I hate stairs -- especially spiral stairs; it's that narrow part of the stair, damn it. I always think I'm going to tumble down and fall dramatically, like on TV or the movies. Maybe that's why I also hate heights. Put those two together and it's anxiety time. Just ask same sister who stands over me in the dark. We were at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and were at the top of the spires, which freaked me out. And then we had to climb down *very* narrow spiral stairs all the way to the ground. That's the closest I've come to a panic attack, ever. I mean, strangers were asking if I was okay.

Scariest experience 

Stop me if you've heard this story before because I tell it a lot: So my friend Amanda and I were on our way to London years ago when we had to spend a sleepless night at Boston's Logan Airport. So we get on the early morning flight to London and I fall asleep as soon as I buckle in (as I'm wont to do). Then suddenly Amanda is shaking me because the PA system has started saying something along the lines of: "Please prepare for an emergency landing in water." Panic ensues. And then the crew gets on and says the announcement went off by mistake and we're not crashing to our deaths as we thought. I try not to think about that every time I fly. It doesn't work.

In conclusion: Happy Halloween!

But you don't have to take my word for it....

Butterfly in the sky.... God, didn't you love "Reading Rainbow"? It was one of my very favorite shows growing up. The episode about New York City at night? Awesome! The one where LeVar takes us to the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? Unforgettable! I always wanted to be one of those lucky kids who got to spend a few seconds talking about a book they loved.

Now the last few weeks have been sometimes stressful, sometimes fun but super busy, so haven't had much to talk about. So when that happens I'm just gonna do a BYDHTTMWFI (see blog post title) about the things I'm into lately. Bottom line: They're all cool.

Books

The Raven Boys. I'm a huge fan of supernatural TV shows, but for some reason supernatural/fantasy books are a really hard sell (Harry Potter excluded): weird names, silly-sounding places, dumb powers. But Maggie Stiefvater's "The Raven Boys" -- about a group of boys searching for a lost Welsh king in Virginia, of all places -- is great. Love the characters (Adam, a book version of Matt Saracen = swoon), intrigued by the Welsh mythology, liked the prose. Now I have to wait for the next book. Argh.

When the Game Was Ours. I generally knew Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are basketball icons but never knew much else about them. This book tracks not only their careers but also their rivalry -- and how it made each of them a better player. Loved this book. Loved.

Movies

Pitch Perfect. Go see this movie. It's like a cappella meets Bring It On. The story is run-of-the-mill: Anna Kendrick (my love for her knows no bounds) is an alterna-girl who joins a ragtag a cappella group seeking glory. But it's exactly what I wanted: cute and fun and musical. Though, warning, it's gross in parts. Now I wish I could sing. It is a-ca-awesome.

The Art of the Steal. Fascinating documentary about the Barnes art collection that was outside Philly (kicking myself I never saw it when I lived there) and now is in a new home in the Philadelphia Museum of Art -- despite the fact that the original owner explicitly said his collection should never leave its home or be part of the museum. Ever. Interesting because of its look at art and who owns it and how it's acquired-- the politics behind it. I must say, I'm conflicted about going to see the collection at some point. On one hand, it's amazing art. On the other, well, just watch the movie....

TV

Bomb Girls. A Canadian show on the Reelz channel about women working in a Canadian munitions factory while the boys fight in World War II? Sold. Duh. The clothes! The hair! The drama! It's like "Homefront" (an old fave) without Jeff (Kyle Chandler) and Ginger, a.k.a. The Best Couple Ever.

Downton Abbey. This third season? Trumps the second season by far. Squeee!

Hope you check these out. But you don't have to take my word for it....

A comic-con grows in Baltimore

If you're amazed there's not a T-shirt
in my haul from the Baltimore con,
I am too. (Credit: Me)

Yesterday I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con -- a first for me, which is weird since I live just an hour away and it's relatively easy to get to, even without a car. You'd think I would've gone years ago as a primer, building up to the mega-huge one in San Diego and the biggish one in New York. But true to my nature, if I really like something, I'm not one to dip my toe in, so I jumped into the deep end first and am only just now going to the smaller shows.

Now in Baltimore I did see Stan Lee, heretofore known as my nerd grandpa, when he passed us on the floor, with a lone guard as his escort. But there was no crowd chasing him. And besides him, there were no A-list celebrities. No must-see TV/movie panels or exclusive clips or previews or screenings. There were no corporate publicity stunts or huge booths, such as Marvel's, with all the different Iron Man suits or Odin's throne. There was no flashy swag.

But I could stand on the convention floor, stretch my arms out wide and not hit anyone. I didn't have to get there at dawn to fall in line to just get in the building. No opening multiple browsers on my computer  -- months before the actual con -- and waiting breathlessly and praying to the Comic-Con gods to get passes. I bought my ticket for the Baltimore con on Thursday night for $20. My friend just walked up to the window when we got there and bought hers.

Heck, we didn't even have actual badges, although I saw a Stan Lee VIP passholder who had a badge (for $200, you should get a badge). No, we got a blue paper wristband -- not even branded! *clutches pearls* -- which I promptly tore. Can you imagine what would happen in San Diego if people just had easily breakable wristbands? Chaos would reign. Thousands would wangle their way inside with a bracelet they found lying in the street. (It's a good thing we didn't have a badge anyway, because I didn't bring a supercool lanyard to go with it.)

Sometimes in San Diego you walk by the comics vendors and there aren't that many people there, which makes me feel guilty. At this one it was sometimes hard (relatively speaking) to get through people to browse through boxes of comics. Yay! I always tend to go to the trade paperbacks instead of individual issues, so I bagged "The Walking Dead" vols 1 and 2. Discount copies of "Locke & Key" -- a series I enjoy lots -- eluded me again.

Closer look at my treasures. The pins, from left: K-9;
a deer head that says "Expecto patronum";
a gas mask says "Are you my Mummy?"
(Credit: Me)

I also got a bracelet made from a comic book page, (at a museum before the con, I got a pendant with comics in it: one side says "Zoink!"; the other, "Voo-vroom!"), fun decals and buttons. And NO T-shirts. That in itself is a major milestone for me. Now there were many, many shirts I wanted, but I restrained myself. A "Eureka"-themed one called out to me like a siren, but alas, it was made for tiny people.

Anyway, the vibe was just as cool and accepting as at San Diego -- without all the hassles of lines or jostling for space or the exorbitant travel costs. People weren't shy about asking to stop a Dalek cosplayer to take a photo or where you got your cool shirt or just how many times an artist watched "Doctor Who" (the Ten years) to make that awesome pixel art poster showing every character who appeared in those seasons -- in chronological episode order. Basically, you're just free to be a geek without judgment, which is the best thing about any convention.

Washington is getting its own con in April. You can bet I'll be going.

What I will and won't read

A small part of my Jane Austen retellings/sequels collection. (Credit: Me)

I've talked a lot about my penchant for YA books over adult books. But I just realized that there are certain tropes or aspects of a plot that I'm particularly drawn to -- those things that all I have to do is read the synopsis and I'm all: SOLD.

Some of these I look for in TV shows and movies, too, though I'm more able to suspend my disbelief for TV/movies than for books. I'm not a big fantasy book person, for example, but I'm willing to go along with, say, "Merlin."

Anyway:

Book turn-ons

Victorian England + swoony couple
 = gold. (Credit: Barnes & Noble)

• Victorian England.
• Edwardian England.
• Regency England.
• Okay, just England.
• Dystopia. Except post-natural-disaster societies, because those just scare me. (Read: "Ashfall." Or don't because it might freak you out and/or depress you.)
• Retellings of "Pride & Prejudice," "Sense & Sensibility" or "Persuasion."
• Jane Austen stories but from an alternate perspective -- like P&P from Darcy's POV or "Persuasion" from Wentworth's. Swoon. 
• Sequels to Jane Austen books. (Do you sense a theme here?)
• Mysteries in which the heroine and hero butt heads but ultimately join forces to solve the case (and fall in love because obvs they're meant TO BE). See Deanna Raybourn's Julia Grey mysteries. Brisbane is my non-Austen book boyfriend.
• A teenager with a tragic past that she/he somehow overcomes.
• Road trips.
• Ghosts or demons. This one applies mostly to YA fiction.  Not a supernatural romance fan.
• Motley group of disparate personalities who band together.
• Continuing series that involve different characters in each book. See the "Pink Carnation" romance series by Lauren Willig. Addicted.
• I'm a sucker for nonfiction books on: basketball, World War II, Jane Austen.

Book turn-offs

• Angels. Ugh. Demons, I'm apparently okay with, but angels and seraphims, etc., are a whole other ballgame.
• Fairies/fae. I like the show "Lost Girl," which involves fae, but I cannot read books about these magical folk.
• Depressing stories. This from the girl who loves "The Fault in Our Stars." But rarely do I want to read sad books.
• Chick lit books that involve middle-aged -- divorced or "spinster" -- women who usually work in PR or some kind of communications job. Too close to home? Who knows. 
• General fantasy books. I'll admit: I hated "Wrinkle in Time" and "The Hobbit" in school. Still do.
• Alternating perspectives. Not my fave literary device. Rarely do I enjoy it. The most recent is probably is the awesome "The Scorpio Races" and "Winter Town." 
• Supernatural twists on classics. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" was novelty fun. I'm not that interested in reading others.
• Horror. I'm not huge about reading scary books. Who wants to be scared before going to bed? 

So there you go. If you find a book that incorporates every one of my turn-ons, let me know! Although maybe I should branch out and read different things....

Hey, guess what! I love the U.K.

A little weird, right? For a Filipino chick to love the UK as much as I do. To paraphrase badly from Jane Austen, I can't tell you exactly when or where I fell in love with England -- I was in the middle before I knew I had even begun. But there it is. And I'm so so sad I didn't think about going for the Olympics. I'd've seen any obscure sport just to be there. My bad. 


But how much do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

TV/Movies

When I travel to foreign countries, I like to watch their TV shows. In Spain, we watched an "American Idol"-type show and, oddly, German soaps. In the Philippines, I watched Filipino game shows, and Hindi and Korean soaps. It's like a anthropological study of a culture's viewing habits. 

In many ways, I prefer British television over American. Fewer episodes mean more streamlined story arcs and less filler episodes. Their shows are edgier and well acted. My sister got me an all-region DVD player so I can buy and watch British DVDs. Besides obvious faves of "Doctor Who" and "Downton Abbey," I do love these shows (with links to some fun clips):

"Spooks" > "24"  (Credit: BBC)

• "Spooks" (American name: "MI-5"). A spy show that just ended this year after 10 seasons. So good! Great stories and actors. As intense as "24." Season 2 through 6, with Rupert Penry Jones,  above center, are particularly good. Matthew Macfadyen, in season 1 and one or two eps of Season 2, was awesome too. My boyfriend Richard Armitage was in Season 7-9. But as much as I love him, Spooks was fading fast by that point. It's on Netflix, so check it out.
• "Miranda." A new and yet old-school sitcom. Y'all, I'm not a sitcom person. I don't like "Modern Family" or "Community." Yes, I KNOW. Nor am I a fan of physical comedy. But Miranda Hart -- who plays a socially inept single woman who constantly gets into awkward situations (hello, overidentify much?) -- is so freakin' funny. Sadly this hasn't aired on American TV -- but it should (BBC America, I'm looking at you)!
• "Gavin & Stacey." Another great comedy, this one focuses on a couple (she's Welsh; he's from Essex) on a whirlwind romance that brings their two crazy families together. Smart and funny and heartfelt. Gold. 
• If you have not seen "Attack the Block," please do so now. About teenagers in a council housing block who end up battling aliens, this movie has heart and an edge. And if I adopt some of the language or syntax of a TV show or movie, then I really like it. Believe. <-- Movie reference!

Music

Rizzle Kicks = good start
to the day. (Credit: Amazon)

Lately I've been really into Brit hop.  Tinie Tempah might be my current favorite rapper, and I want him to make it big here; check out "Till I'm Gone," with Wiz Khalifa. The Rizzle Kicks have been likened to the Gorillaz but I like them even more; my fave is "Down With the Trumpets." And Dizzee Rascal is another rapper I love. You might have heard a little of each of these already: Tinie and Rizzle Kicks were sampled in the Opening Ceremonies medley, and Dizzee performed "Bonkers," with what might be one of my favorite rap-lyrics-turned-life-philosophy ever: "Some people think I'm bonkers, but I just think I'm free..."

Books

Anything set in Britain, I'm bound to read, no pun intended. Jacqueline Winspear has a great mystery series (Maisie Dobbs) set in the years between the great wars. And I'm a sucker for any Jane Austen sequel or retelling ("The Other Mr. Darcy" actually changed my view of Caroline Bingley). 

Food

My kingdom for a place in Washington that serves a good full English breakfast. Eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, sausage. YUM. I'd give two kingdoms for Wagamama to open that long-promised DC location. When you go to London, check out the chain pan-Asian place. So freakin' good, especially the chicken katsu curry -- what I always order when I go. And I'd give three kingdoms for a Hummingbird Bakery to open up here, too. Their "American" cupcakes make me shun all other cupcakes (seriously, I won't eat another cupcake for weeks after I go to Hummingbird, because I know they just won't match up.)

This weekend, my sisters and I are basically doing a New York is the New London kind of birthday weekend. We'll be going to the London Candy Co., which sells imported British food (what up, McVittie's biscuits -- I'm comin' for ya!) and then seeing James Corden in "One Man, Two Guvnors" on Broadway. He co-wrote and co-stars in "Gavin & Stacey," and, oh, also won a Tony for OMTG. Can't wait to see it again.

And in conclusion: Cupcakes.

Hummingbird cupcakes. Drool now. (Credit: me)